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Republicans have constantly opposed it, however, saying it imposes too many costs on business and intrudes too far into the lives and affairs of private businesses and individuals.

One of the first things Trump did as president was to issue a directive to federal agencies involved in the healthcare system to "waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay" any portion of the Affordable Care Act that creates financial burden on states, individuals or healthcare providers.

He said this should be done "to the maximum extent permitted by law".

This order technically does not give these agencies any powers they don't already have - it's been described more as "a planted flag".

Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd after declaring victory in the 2016 US presidential election (Image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Health aid and abortion

Another executive order signed by Trump reinstated the so-called "global gag rule", to use the term adopted by its critics. According to Vox , "this is a a policy from previous Republican administrations that blocks federal funding from international family planning organisations that 'either provide abortion or discuss abortion services with their clients'.”

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said this would "end the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions overseas, along with coercive abortion and sterilization practices". However, Vox reports that there's already a law in place to prevent foreign aid from being used to provide aboritions. The "global gag rule" goes further by also taking funding from international organisations that discuss abortion services (which could then be privately funded).

Trump is not the first to do this, though. The policy was introduced in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan. Since then, every Democratic president has rescinded the measure and every Republican has brought it back.

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said: "We know that when family planning services and contraceptives are easily accessible, there are fewer unplanned pregnancies, maternal deaths, and abortions.”

Donald Trump with son Eric

Build a border wall

This executive order called on the Department of Homeland Security to “take all appropriate steps to immediately plan, design, and construct a physical wall along the southern border, using appropriate materials and technology to most effectively achieve complete operational control of the southern border”.

A second order pledges to hire 10,000 more immigration officers.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly said he was going to build the wall, which he described as "beautiful", and insisted it would be paid for by the Mexican government, who have repeatedly said they won't be doing that.

The US-Mexico border is 1,989 miles long and there are already fences built along parts of it. However, the US doesn’t own all of the land adjacent to the border, law professor Philip Schrag told CBS . He said: “In Texas, apparently there are a great many of the lands adjacent to the border in private hands, so the government would first have to seize the land by eminent domain or purchase it from the owners and then deal with the construction problems”.

Announcing his "extreme vetting" plan, he invoked the September 11 attacks.

Most of the hijackers on that day were from Saudi Arabia.

The rest were from the UAE, Egypt and Lebanon.

Donald Trump waves from the podium at the US Capitol in Washington as he is inaugurated as the new President of the United States (Image: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Halted the entire US refugee process

The US Refugee Admissions Programme has been suspended for 120 days. This suspends the entry of refugees into the US and directs officials to determine additional screening "to ensure that those approved for refugee admission do not pose a threat to the security and welfare of the United States". He also set a cap of 50,000 refugees to be accepted to the US in 2017. Barack Obama had set the limit at 110,000.

Raymond Offensheiser, the president of Oxfam America, said: "The refugees impacted by today's decision are among the world's most vulnerable people... who are simply trying to find a safe place to live after fleeing unfathomable violence and loss."

President Trump's invitation to visit Britain was issued when the Prime Minister visited the White House.

Banned refugees from Syria ENTIRELY

There is a critical humanitarian crisis in Syria, where civilians have been dying in huge numbers as a result of the country's civil war.

Almost five million people have been displaced from Syria since the civil war began - in 2016, 12,587 of them ended up in the US as refugees, said The Guardian, who also reported that America's Syrian refugee resettlement programme has been called "one of the most important in the world". According to the UN, more than 400,000 people have died in Syria's civil war.

Trump's order stops the admission of refugees from Syria indefinitely.

Hundreds of people protest in Birmingham's Victoria Square over plans by new American president Donald Trump to ban refugees.

Advanced the construction of two controversial pipelines

The Keystone pipeline is a 1,179-mile pipeline being built, running from Canada to America's Gulf Coast. It would carry petroleum. Its construction was halted by Barack Obama in 2015, with concerns over how its continued construction squared with a commitment to climate change.

The Dakota Access pipeline would carry crude oil from the state of North Dakota to other parts of the country. There have been massive protests over its construction after the Standing Rock Sioux tribe said the pipeline interfered with their drinking water. And in December, the Army Corps of Engineers said it would explore an alternative route.

Trump signed memoranda that renew the process for constructing both pipelines.

Sums up the mood (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

Withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Trans-Pacific Partnership (or TPP) negotiations began under President Obama.

Trump has issued a memorandum that called on the US to pull out of the partnership. The deal had never actually gone into effect in the US.

Top drawing skills

Called for a 'great rebuilding of the armed services'

Trump signed an order that he said would result in “a great rebuilding of the armed services of the United States”.

He called for budget negotiations to acquire new planes, ships and resources.

Trump said America's “military strength will be questioned by no one, but neither will the nation’s commitment to peace.”

Sad! (Image: Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Frozen hiring by the federal government

Trump issued a memorandum imposing a freeze on all federal civilian employees “across the board”.

No vacant positions were allowed to be filled and no new positions could be created “except in limited circumstances”.

The memorandum does not apply to military personnel. Trump wants to reduce government debts and decrease the size of the federal workforce.